ARTICLES ABOUT CANDIDATES BY DATE - PAGE 5

The land along the northern edge of the Patapsco serves as the front porch to a bejeweled coastline, the product of a re-making of Baltimore's Inner Harbor in a manner and to a degree that could have hardly been imagined a generation ago. And then, several blocks north, in the once commercially vibrant area of Waverly, standing in considerable contrast, there is McKenzie Elliott's front porch. When a three-year-old is shot to death while merely indulging in the act of sitting on her own front porch on a summer afternoon, the magnificence and grandeur of the renewal of our city is dimmed and diminished.

What if Hillary Clinton doesn't seek the presidency in 2016? Waiting patiently and noncommittally in the wings is Vice President Joe Biden. He might well be reluctant to take her on, considering the powerhouse she has become, with an army of Democratic women "Ready for Hillary" to unleash them. But almost certainly Mr. Biden would run if she didn't, and why not? Many, particularly Republicans relieved at not having to face her in the general election, would peddle their favorite impression: that Mr. Biden is a loose cannon who would run the country with his foot in his mouth.

Supporters of the League of the South can debate all they want whether their organization is truly a neo-Confederate hate group, as the Southern Poverty Law Center has classified them, but it would be much harder to argue that it isn't an oddball extremist group with some hair-raising ideas. That they support Southern secession and rally behind all things Confederate pretty much defines the Alabama-based league. These are not just some folks who spend their free hours dressing up in Civil War garb, whistling “Dixie” and recalling the good old days.

First, Anne Arundel County Council candidate Michael Peroutka talks about the need to destroy the "current regime," secede and establish a government based on the Bible. Then he asks the crowd to stand for the National Anthem. But Peroutka does not sing "The Star-Spangled Banner. " He plucks the guitar and sings: "Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton Old times there are not forgotten Look away, look away, look away Dixie Land" Is that.... Yup, Peroutka's National Anthem is "Dixie.

Anne Arundel County Council candidate Michael Peroutka refused Wednesday to disavow an organization that encourages secession of the South, and denounced political and community leaders who have questioned his ties to the group. The Republican candidate for an Arundel district including Severna Park, Broadneck and Arnold has seen his views called into question regarding his membership in the League of the South, formed in 1994 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., to "organize Southern people so that they might effectively pursue independence and self-government," according to the group's website.

Hillary Clinton's quasi-presidential-campaign-but-actually-book-tour hit "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart Tuesday night and, as always with the scathing, satirical talk-show heavyweight, the interview did not disappoint. Jon spent a fair amount of time attempting to weasel his way into landing the much-coveted Clinton presidential announcement, and while the former secretary of state remained painstakingly coy on the matter, the host got pretty creative in his interrogative methods.

A Republican candidate for Baltimore County executive has asked to recount ballots after he lost the party's primary by a margin of only 18 votes. Tony Campbell, of Towson, made the request Thursday, according to county election director Katie Brown. Following the June 24 primary election, Campbell barely trailed candidate George Harman, of Reisterstown. "It is important for citizens in a democratic republic to know that their votes count," Campbell said in a statement. More than 20,000 votes were cast in the race, and because the margin was so slim, officials did not finish counting all ballots until Monday.

I was disappointed by the primary election. I mean no disrespect to Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, but it was obvious the Democratic Party of Maryland threw its resources and support behind him, judging by the robo-calls and television and radio ads that outnumbered his opponents' five to one ( "Brown, Hogan win primaries for Maryland governor," June 25). The earlier primary day advantage clearly went to him. Summertime is travel time and the showing at the polls was abysmal. Good luck to Mr. Brown in the general election.

While left-hander T.J. McFarland remains the most likely option to make Tuesday's spot start against the Texas Rangers at Camden Yards, the Orioles have yet to make that decision official. “I haven't been reading too much into it,” McFarland said before Sunday's game. “I do know that however the next two games play out is possibly a factor, but we're going to try to win games, and that's what we're going to try to do. I haven't put too much thought into Tuesday, but [it's a]

As I look back over my 12 years as chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM), one of the developments in which I take the most pride has been the USM's genuine partnership with state leaders in Annapolis. Now that the primary is over and the election looms, I encourage candidates for office across Maryland, especially those running for governor, to commit themselves to upholding this partnership. It has served our students, the state and the citizens exceptionally well.